Various mechanisms exist for out-of-band (OOB) server management. A typical server today contains both a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) and a system Basic Input Output System (BIOS). These processes both typically execute code from flash memory devices. The BMC and BIOS have separate code images, typically located in separate flash devices. The images contained in flash have a minimum of two sections of code: a boot block section and an operational code section. The boot block is typically write-protected and is not updated in the field. Conversely, the operational image can be updated in the field. In existing systems, the BIOS image can only be updated if the system has booted to an operating system. If a BIOS image upgrade is corrupted or faulty, the system is unable to boot to the operating system and is rendered inoperable.
Typically a management console or system communicates with the baseboard management controller (BMC) of a server on a network. The OOB communications have the advantage of being able to communicate with the server when it is not booted up. The BMC typically operates on standby power, even when the server is not technically powered on. This enables the management console to access power operations, temperature and other data from sensors communicating with the server BMC. If the temperature of the server is too hot, for instance, the management console can prevent a power up, or initiate a shutdown prior to the server overheating.